To Jane: The Invitation

To Jane: The Invitation Lyrics

[This and the following poem were published together in their original form as one piece under the title, "The Pine Forest of the Cascine near Pisa", by Mrs. Shelley, "Posthumous Poems", 1824; reprinted in the same shape, "Poetical Works", 1839, 1st edition; republished separately in their present form, "Poetical Works", 1839, 2nd edition. There is a copy amongst the Trelawny manuscripts.]

About “To Jane: The Invitation”

The Poem: This was written towards the end of Shelley’s life. He was suffering from depression and, it is believed, had a strong attraction to Jane, who was married to Shelley’s friend, Edward Williams. In this poem he invites Jane to accompany him to the countryside, with the expectation that the escape will bring an interlude of happiness during a difficult time in the poet’s life. It should be noted that Shelley’s relationship with Jane must have been an uneasy one given their respective marriages to other people

Romantic Poetry
A tenet of Romantic poetry is its focus on nature and man’s insignificance in comparison to the natural world. This was a subject of particular interest to the poet Wordsworth. Shelley, however, was concerned with regeneration of his spiritual and poetic self, and regeneration of Europe politically. It was a turbulent time when the Napoleonic Wars had not long ended and Europe was in a state of flux and unrest. In England the infamous Peterloo Massacre had occurred in August 1819, when cavalry charged into a crowd demonstrating against poor economic conditions and lack of parliamentary representation in the north of England.

The heroic role of the poet — The poet has a deep, mystical appreciation for nature, and can translate truths about the cosmos into poetry that the public can understand. Thus, a poet has the ability to change the world for the better and to bring about political, social, and spiritual change. Ironically, this straining to link with humanity requires visionary power that is isolating. But ultimately the poet triumphs because his art is immortal, outlasting government, religion, and restrictive society rules and living on to inspire new generations.

The Poetic Imagination — This power seems to come from a mystical place and provides inspiration, the source of creativeness and originality, empowering the human mind.

The Power of Nature — Shelley was a Pantheist and believed that Nature or a divine spirit of beauty, runs through everything in the universe. This force can be the root of human joy and goodness and can influence people to change the world for the better, though he is also aware of its indiscriminately destructive side.

Structure
The poem comprises three long stanzas of irregular length, 20, 26 and 17 lines respectively. Apart from one triplet half-way through stanza three it is in the form of rhyming couplets. This creates a regular, satisfying rhythm for a poem about the healing effects of nature and escape from the urban world.

The metrical rhythm is broadly iambictetrameter, that is four iambs, or metrical feet, per line comprising an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable.

The effect is ‘light touch’, a gentle rhythm to express an interlude of happiness in what was otherwise a depressed time for Shelley.

Language
Shelley’s most notable characteristic is his use of abstract words like ‘Love’, ‘Hope’, ‘Expectation’. Also his description of the cosmos, as in ‘'Day’, ‘Heaven’ and ‘Earth’ etc. This gives his poetry an ethereal, other-worldly quality in which the spiritual significance behind the ideas is more important than the words themselves.